Duterte urged to come clean on health after his fentanyl drug use draws concern

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s admission that he used a powerful painkiller has prompted concern about his health, with lawmakers urging him Sunday to undergo a medical examination and disclose the results.

Duterte on Monday revealed that he used to take fentanyl, often prescribed for cancer pain and other chronic ailments, because of a spinal injury from previous motorcycle accidents.

He however said his doctor made him stop using it on learning he was “abusing the drug” by using more than the prescribed patches. However, he denied he was addicted.

The firebrand leader has attracted controversy over his war against suspected users of illegal drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives, and his incendiary language against the United States and the United Nations.

Lawmakers said Duterte’s remarks revived speculation about his health, including rumours during the election campaign that he suffered from cancer - a claim Duterte repeatedly denied.

(AFP)